Stress can have a real impact on your skin. Whenever we’re feeling overwhelmed, frazzled or tired, our skin can be the first place to show it. There are all kinds of stresses – physical, emotional, psychological and environmental – and our skin is influenced by each of them.  Skin is the largest organ in our body, and this is how stress can affect it:

• The first culprit is cortisol. Feeling stressed causes an upsurge in your levels of cortisol which can then raise sugar levels in the blood and sebum levels.  It activates sebaceous glands in the skin, leading to blocked pores and acne breakouts. Everything becomes oilier. It also makes your skin more reactive and sensitive, and healing can take longer.
• The second culprit is adrenaline. When we are stressed, we experience a spike in adrenaline which causes us to sweat more. Skin can become quickly dehydrated which leads to loss of tone, fullness and smoothness.

Cortisol and adrenaline can give skin a combination of problems.  It becomes dry and flaky in some places, and congested and oily in others.

Stress can also:

• Cause flare-ups of existing problems like rosacea, eczema and psoriasis.
• Disrupt the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut which then also causes breakouts.
• Affect  your quality of sleep and a bad night’s sleep is written all over our faces. Skin becomes puffy, dull and pale, and eyes rapidly become dark circled.
• Trigger inflammation because your body feels under attack and so ratchets up its responses. Inflammatory cells increase in number, and flare-ups begin.
• Impact upon your hair and nails. Hair can become drier or oilier depending on how your body reacts to changing hormone levels. The scalp can become red and flaky. At times of severe stress, hair can thin or even fall out. Similarly, nails can become brittle and start peeling or stop growing all together.

So how should you take care of your skin and yourself when you are stressed out?

All experts agree that you should focus on improving your quality of sleep. Make space for some mindful relaxation, get some exercise and fresh air and eat as healthily as you can. That helps the broader picture. (If sleep still eludes you I recommend trying our Antidote Bath and Body Oil and our Pillow Spray which are both brilliant at helping you to unwind and prepare for sleep.) To help your skin, adopt a skincare routine with a small number of products that work brilliantly together which won’t overwhelm your skin.

Votary Super Seed range is designed to tackle all the issue sensitive skin faces, and here’s how.

• Stressed skin needs to be cleansed properly to remove excess sebum without drying it out. Super Seed Cleansing Oil is our thickest and most nourishing formula. Enriched with the goodness of twenty two different seed oils, it leaves your skin beautifully clean, soft and supple. It’s the first step to calming things down.
• Stressed skin needs to be soothed. Our NEW Super Seed Serum is loaded with the powerful peptides camosine and sacha inchi which boost and support the skin’s natural defences. Broccoli seed oil – which is rich in antioxidants – increases lipid levels.  The skin’s microbiome is nourished and strengthened. And, the absence of any fragrance means the skin isn’t irritated or triggered further. Apply after cleansing to calm and soothe.
• Stressed skin needs some careful re-setting to restore it to its non-stressed state. Our Super Boost Night Drops are brilliant at this. Little drops of pure goodness for your skin, they repair damage while you sleep, tackling soreness, redness and blemishes.  They contain CBD oil which works to improve skin condition. It reduces irritation, and calms and soothes the skin’s mantle.  Super Boost Night Drops can be used in two ways. Either re-boot your skin by applying undiluted after your serum, or, for ongoing care, add  2-3 drops to your facial oil or cream, combine in your palms and press gently into your face. Wake to super-soothed, super-smooth, super-soft skin which is even-toned, comfortable and gradually normalised.
• Stressed skin needs appropriate hydration. Complete your routine with our cult Super Seed Facial Oil for deep-down, nourishing moisture. Pumpkin seed oil is abundant in Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, making it intensely hydrating for skin. Hemp seed oil works to increase the skin’s elasticity and to minimise fine lines and wrinkles. Meadowfoam seed oil is deeply moisturising and helps to balance oil production.
• Stressed skin can need extra protection. If you want an extra layer of cossetting goodness, seal everything in with our rich, matte Super Seed Nutrient Cream. It locks in hydration and keeps your face protected against extremes of temperature.

Stressed skin, hair and nails also need feeding from the inside out.  Take Votary Super Seed Nutritional Supplement by the daily spoonful to keep everything looking its glowing best. Rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9 essential fatty acids, our vegan oil is carefully balanced to support beautiful skin, glossy hair and strong nails. Made from a blend of  10 select virgin cold-pressed seed oils including organic hemp, borage and chia it’s super nourishing.

When things get too stressful, we all need to take a moment to get things back on track in our work/life balance. Our Super Seed range means your stressed, sensitised skin gets a beautiful, natural helping hand to do so.

Love, Arabella x

Read more about our new Super Seed Serum here.

Read about our Super Boost Night Drops here.

Read about how our Super Seed range helps sensitive skin here.